Cybersecurity Fund

Being the first to invest and accelerate the next best global generation of Cybersecurity and Defense startups

Strategy

Wise Guys Cyber Fund is designed to lead the increasing demand for Cyber Security and defence startups, and leverage the huge opportunity to foster this vertical. The Fund Investment is focused on early stage Cyber Security, AI and Defense startups globally. Despite high demand in cybersecurity solutions especially peaking during pandemic, high-quality cyber startups are a rare find, due to the niche demands of this vertical. Having overall invested in 400+ startups across all funds, and being one of the first and only cyber focused accelerators in Europe since 2018, we have an unfair advantage in discovering and accessing the deal flow of global early stage cyber startups. Wise Guys Cyber fund aims at investing in 40-50 startups.

We invest

The fund invests via our world leading accelerator program. Startups entering the Wise Guys Cyber program start with a 50-100K eur initial investment. There is additional up to 250K eur follow-on per startup for the best performing portfolio startups available.

up to 100K€

Investment Range

250k€

Follow-on possibility

Why cybersecurity and defence

Cybersecurity startups have emerged as a hot investment opportunity due to the escalating threat landscape and the critical need for robust digital defenses. With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, organizations across industries are recognizing the imperative of safeguarding their sensitive data and systems.

This heightened awareness has fueled a surge in demand for innovative cybersecurity solutions. Startups in this space offer the potential for disruptive technologies, nimble responses to emerging threats, and agility in adapting to evolving security landscapes. Furthermore, the announcement of the 1B eur NATO investment fund and the development of several national defense funds across Europe is marking the start of a new era of dual usage startups in the field.

The growing reliance on cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and interconnected systems has expanded the attack surface, making cybersecurity a top priority for enterprises worldwide. Furthermore, investing in this vertical is different from regular SaaS investments. Cybersecurity startups tend to need money early on and their valuations grow significantly faster than early revenues. Product due diligence is key and Startup Wise Guys has years of experience and in house expertise in this space to enhance and de-risk the cyber and defense due diligence and investment process.